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Volleyball: UAFS Sweeps Past Dallas Baptist

Saturday was definitely a good day for UAFS junior hitter Tory Kappel.

A native of Oklahoma City and a big University of Oklahoma fan, Kappel was ecstatic when she was told of the halftime score of the Oklahoma football team’s rivalry game against Texas.

The Sooners led, 36-2, and went on to win for a third straight year, 63-21. But Kappel was happy for another reason following her team’s match Saturday against Dallas Baptist, as the Lady Lions remained undefeated in Heartland Conference play with a 25-22, 25-10, 25-23 victory at the Stubblefield Center.

More importantly, the Lady Lions (16-2, 8-0) were able to gain no less than a two-match lead atop the conference standings with six remaining league matches left while Dallas Baptist (13-6, 7-2) remains in second place.

“The energy on the court and on the bench, (we were) focused throughout the whole thing,” Kappel said. “I think whenever the whole team is up in energy, that’s when we play at our very best when we’re having fun. … This was a big game for us, and this game determines pretty much if we’re at the top of our conference and if we get to host the conference tournament, so this was a big one for us and we’re really happy about it.”

Kappel — whose left hand was taped up because of a jammed knuckle — hasn’t let the injury affect her play as she recorded six kills and 10 digs in Saturday’s win.

“As long as I have it taped, it’s fine and then once my adrenaline gets pumping, I can’t feel anything,” Kappel said.

Kappel had several of her kills during the third game, in which the Lady Lions rallied from a 15-11 deficit. One of her kills gave UAFS a 23-21 lead before Dallas Baptist scored the next two points to tie it.

However, on the ensuing play, UAFS junior setter Stephanie Brock placed a ball over on the other side where the Lady Patriots couldn’t get to it, and on match point, Dallas Baptist was whistled for a double-hit violation, finishing off the sweep for the Lady Lions.

“That was a physical battle and we felt fortunate to have won it,” UAFS coach Jane Sargent said. “We didn’t play particularly well on the defensive end, we didn’t think, so we challenged our kids to come out and just really be relentless on defense and I think you saw that (Saturday); they just played lights out.

“(Junior defender) Emily (McCollum), oh my gosh, was all over the place — she was amazing; we stayed in system, which I think was a big plus for us, on our serve-receive and got (senior middle hitter) Heidi (Luks) a bunch of sets and kills, so that always helps.

“It is a very emotional group this year; we’ve had a lot of support from each other and they do a great job of what we call having each other’s back, and that’s what they do.”

In the opening game, UAFS trailed 20-19 before Luks got back-to-back kills, followed by a kill from outside hitter Jordan Pickett and a successful service ace from McCollum to give the Lady Lions breathing room. On the next play, McCollum saved a ball from going out, as she hit it to Kappel, who in turn fed it to senior Whitney Hale to knock it over the net as UAFS eventually got the point and a 24-20 advantage.

UAFS took control of the second game with a decisive 9-0 run as the Lady Lions took a commanding 23-9 lead. Senior middle hitter Chantlee Nash capped it off with an uncontested kill.

Luks finished with 19 kills, while Pickett added seven. McCollum had 14 digs while Hale — the former Southside standout — had 23 assists, eight digs and four aces.

“Whitney played extremely well,” Sargent said. “She picked her defense up late in the third game, which is what we needed. … She just served lights out and we had a game plan in, we knew who we were going to try to serve to and it paid off.”